Spotlight on the Principles/Standards: Algebra in the Middle Grades

Abstract

When asked, “How long do you think it would take you to ride a fifty-mile bicycle race?” a class of Indiana sixth graders offered answers ranging from two to twelve hours. Some admitted that their answers were blatant guesses, whereas others offered interesting and thoughtful rationales for their estimates: a car can drive fifty miles in about one hour, and a cyclist might take twice as long for the same distance; because bicycling on hills is tiring, race times will depend on how hilly the course is; and an individual race takes longer than a relay race because team members can take turns bicycling and resting.